Thursday, March 20, 2008

its been since 2/4 that i have been away from connecticutand the joys of freezing cold temps and slippery roads.myself and those vacationing from michigan, iowa, Minnesota andcanada are labeled "snowbirds".

I do have the advantage of driving cars with arizona plates,so i am spared the looks of disdain from some of the locals.

while i do experience some guilt that i am here and Debis back home running the sober house; I know Roger isthere as hands-on manager.

there is no shortage of meetings either; though the averagelength of sobriety is over 20 years!

april 3rd we have a wedding to attend in las vegas.gee, not too much drinking, gambling or showgirls there!

just another chance to observe those who can drinksafely; hopefully do just that, & without embarrassingthemselves in the process.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Dawn Wells, the actress who played Mary Ann on the television show "Gilligan's Island," has been sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation after police found marijuana in her car during a traffic stop. The 69-year-old actress will also have to pay a $410.50 fine under a plea agreement that dropped driving under the influence and possession of acontrolled substance charges.

famous folks never cease to amaze me with their antics.so many rich celebs who can afford chauffeurs, insist on drivingdrunk and high.

every day there is an athlete, actor, singer or politician bustedfor endangering their life or the lives of others.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

1. Hope instead of desperation.
2. Faith instead of despair.
3. Courage instead of fear.
4. Peace of mind instead of confusion.
5. Self-confidence instead of helplessness.
6. Self-respect instead of self-contempt.
7. The respect of others instead of their pity or contempt.
8. A clean conscience instead of a sense of guilt.
9. Real friendships instead of loneliness.
10. A clean pattern of life instead of a purposeless existence.
11. The love and understanding of our families instead of their doubts and fears.
12. The freedom of a happy life instead of the bondage of an alcoholic obsession.

Friday, March 7, 2008

today the topic was step 3.there were at least 50 people in the room.in the time allotted, a majority of them wereable to share.it occurred to me that back home in Ct.,less than 20 would have been able to speak.i surmise there is a level of fairness here amongthe mostly retired group, that we don't have.

as for the step; i have no idea what God's willis for me.what i do know it is not to be unfaithful unreliable irresponsible unhealthy

all the things i became, as the result of excessive drinking.today i am able to balance free will with God's will, to thebest of my ability.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

To Be Free This Day,From the sickness of consumptionTo Be Free This Day,To think, feel, and functionTo Be Free This Day,From it's cunning controlTo Be Free This Day,To replenish my soulTo Be Free This Day,Not to burden or blameTo Be Free This Day,From the sorrow and painTo Be Free This Day,Is a blessing indeedTo Be Free This Day,Is mine only need

a little inspiration and a reminder of the freedomwe can have today.

I am learning how to live in the present...learn from the past,and prepare for the future.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Newsweek’s March 3 cover announces that new drugs are changing the way we fight addiction. This follows Time’s July 5, 2007 cover story on the same topic and New York Times Magazine’s June 25, 2006 story. We know two things – we haven’t licked addiction yet, and by the time the same story is repeated each year, everyone seems to have forgotten the previous one.

once again a media frenzy dispensing misinformation about the futile "war on drugs"

i'm unaware of any new drugs on the horizon that show any promise in combatingthe ever increasing substance abuse problem in America.

now that 1 of every 100 Americans is in prison; a large percentage due to drug convictions,is anyone in charge aware that incarceration is not the answer.

simple economics prove that for every dollar spent on treatment,we save greatly on the reduced costs of crime, medical and enforcement outlays.

the future depends on proactive education and treatment; reduce the demandfor drugs by offering help rather than punishment.